Thomas Dixon

Thomas Dixon changed the terminology of our time.  He converted Memphis from "town of" to "city of".  Known as "Toddy" to his friends, he was a stabilizing influence on the early leadership of Memphis.  He twice appears in the colorful monologues of James D. Davis. 

Dixon tried unsuccessfully to extend the city limits, but was successful in instituting a higher level of law enforcement.  His early version of a police department was the "town watch" and his first Memphis jail was colloquially known as the "calaboose".

From Goodspeed:

In March, 1839, Thomas Dixon was elected mayor, and on the 4th of March, that year, a list of the taxable property of the town and the taxes thereon was as follows: 411 town lots, valued at $587,400, taxes thereon $2,950; 152 slaves, value $91,800, taxes $223.50; five carriages, taxes $20, and 231 white polls, taxes $231. The reader of the general history will remember that the constitution of 1834 disfranchised the free colored men, hence at this time there was no poll tax except upon white polls. Thomas Dixon was again elected mayor in March, 1840, and on the 25th of April the Legislature passed an act changing the title of the place from the town of Memphis to the city of Memphis. The tax list for this year was as follows: 499 lots, value $552,425, taxes $4,143.184; 221 slaves, value $107,500, taxes, $268.75; 324 white polls, $324 ; 6 carriages, $24.